Pasta soup in white bowl with piece of toasted bread

Ditali é Fagioli

Published on August 13, 2013 | In | By
    • Prep Time
    • Minutes
    • Cook Time
    • Minutes
    • Yield
    • 5

Italian for pasta and beans, this dish is a hearty vegetable soup with carrots, celery and cannellini beans. Great anytime but especially on cold nights.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Cervasi® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • ⅛ pound (about 3 slices) Pancetta, chopped
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 large fresh bay leaf or 2 dried bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 rib celery, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Coarse salt and pepper
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
  • 1 cup canned tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1 ½ cups ditali or other soup pasta
  • Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta.
  2. Brown the pancetta bits lightly, add herb stems, bay leaf, chopped vegetables, and garlic. Season vegetables with salt and pepper.
  3. Add beans, tomato sauce, water and stock to pot and raise heat to high. Bring soup to a rapid boil and add pasta.
  4. Reduce heat to medium and cook soup, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked to al dente.
  5. Rosemary and thyme leaves will separate from stems as soup cooks. Remove herb stems and bay leaf from soup and place pot on table on a trivet.
  6. Let soup rest and begin to cool for a few minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with lots of grated cheese.